Oregon police officers kill man wielding gun in a residential area

The officers opened fire after the man began waving a gun in the air and taking aim at people in other houses from his perch atop the roof.

Two police officials in Oregon, responding to a 911 call, shot and killed a man standing on a rooftop in a residential area on Tuesday.

The two officers, whose names have not been released, will be placed on paid administrative leave during an investigation by the Washington County sheriff’s department. (Reuters photo for representation)

The officers opened fire after the man began waving a gun in the air and taking aim at people in other houses from his perch atop the roof, said officer Mike Rowe, a Beaverton police department spokesman.

The officers tried to talk to the man, but he pointed the gun at them and then fired one round into the house, Rowe added. “That’s when officers opened fire,” he said.

An elementary school is across the street from the shooting scene in the suburb of Portland and there is also a high school about a block away. The schools were placed on lockdown for about an hour, but they reopened around 9 am.

The officers’ names have not been released.

The man was identified as 51-year-old Douglas Michael Smith.

The officers will be placed on paid administrative leave during an investigation by the Washington County sheriff’s department, Rowe said.